Court: Iowa Casino Doesn’t Have to Pay $41M Jackpot Error

An Illinois grandmother's incredible luck has run out.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday that a Waterloo casino does not have to pay Pauline McKee the $41 million she thought she won in 2011 while playing a penny slot machine.

The court says the game's rules capped jackpots at $10,000 and didn't allow bonuses. The court says the message that appeared indicating McKee won a $41.8 million legacy bonus "was a gratuitous promise" that the casino wasn't obligated to pay.

The Antioch, Illinois grandmother of 13 hit the bonus while gambling on a Miss Kitty slot machine at the Isle Casino Hotel during a family reunion. She sued to try to collect the prize after a state investigation found the bonus award wasn't valid and resulted from a software error.